The write-once read-many (WORM) optical disk, having storage capacities in the order of gigabytes, offers a high storage capacity medium which provides ideal archival storage. Previously used archival storage media, such as magnetic tape medium allowed the system to erase or otherwise modify the data previously stored on the tape medium. However, the non-erasable nature of the WORM optical disk creates a basic incompatibility with the erasable characteristic of the magnetic tape, or other similar erasable medium. Therefore, the software operating system which must transfer information to and receive information from the archival storage medium must be significantly modified to incorporate the non-erasable WORM optical disk in place of an erasable storage medium. However, in view of technical or economical factors, the adaptation of existing operating systems to accommodate the new WORM storage media may not be practical without replacing either or both system hardware and software. Therefore, due to technical and economic constraints existing systems typically could not incorporate the advantages offered by the higher storage capacity WORM optical disk system.